Several cartons of waste were found in the marsh and on the road, with an orange-coloured froth.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Birders allege that toxic waste remains uncleared near the Pallikaranai marsh in the Sholinganallur area, despite having submitted a complaint last month. They demand that the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) clear the debris and test the samples.“Though we complained about this, they did not remove the waste fully from the freshwater marsh,” the birders alleged.Several cartons of waste were found in the marsh and on the road, with an orange-coloured froth.Bharath, a birder, said he first noticed the waste, comprising large, unlabelled white containers, on the morning of May 16. “On May 16, the containers were clustered together, with some found inside a cardboard box. During a subsequent visit on May 21, the containers had spread apart,” he said.The contents of the containers remain unknown and need to be tested, he added. “They could be some kind of chemical compound, powder, or even food waste,” Mr. Bharath said.Apart from these, plastic waste and glass bottles were constantly dumped in the marsh, he added.On May 20, following an online complaint by a birder who visited the site, Sagarika Gupta, the GCC posted pictures on Twitter, stating the area was cleaned.However, Ms. Gupta said though the officials reached the right spot, they did not remove the waste that she had reported. She added that large machinery was required for clearing the waste.A site visit by The Hindu on May 29 confirmed that containers were present next to the orange froth on the road near the marsh. Debris from the nearby Metrorail construction was also found at the site. Workers present were unaware of the disposal process.Garbage is openly dumped in the locality, and men were observed engaging in open defecation close to the marshland. People at a nearby bus stop said there were no dustbins or proper toilets close by. Notably, a dilapidated toilet was found along the road.There is no surveillance in the locality to monitor open dumping. Birders have demanded that the GCC add surveillance infrastructure.Mr. Bharath pointed to the lack of security personnel on that side of the road and said Metro construction barricades blocked the view from the opposite side. “Office cabs and police jeeps occasionally park in the area, as a police station is located on the opposite lane,” he added.GCC Commissioner G.S. Sameeran said he would inquire into the issue. Published - June 04, 2026 05:30 am IST
